[Intl-tobacco] UK: Bill to ban tobacco adverts gets ministers' backing

[Robert Weissman]

Bill to ban tobacco adverts gets ministers' backing

by Patrick Wintour, chief political correspondent
The Guardian, 2002-01-07

A tobacco advertising ban looks set
to become law this year after it emerged yesterday that the
government was giving covert backing to a private member's bill
currently in the Lords.

Estimates suggest that the 11 clause bill has a more than 75% chance
of reaching the statute book and closing the £130m a year
advertising market. The bill bans all tobacco advertising, including
the internet.

Smoking claims 120,000 lives a year and is estimated to cost the NHS
£1.5bn annually in England alone.

Labour has a manifesto commitment to impose the ban. A previous
government bill fell when the general election was called. Last year
Alan Milburn, the health secretary, and Yvette Cooper, the public
health minister, failed to win a slot for a ban in the crowded
legislative timetable.

The failure to reintroduce the bill in the Queen's speech revived
claims that the government was in hock to the tobacco industry. It
also undermined the government's fight against cancer, one of the
targets of the NHS plan.

Labour's connections with the smoking lobby have been clouded with
suspicion ever since the government acted to exempt motor racing
from an advertising ban.

The Formula One chief, Bernie Ecclestone, had given the government a
£1m donation.

It emerged yesterday, however, that the Department of Health was
informally advising the Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones on
his private member's bill in the Lords to make sure it could be
supported. The bill, identical to the government's bill last year,
is due to have its final committee stage on January 18 and is likely
to finish its Lords stages this month.

The bill is also being given enthusiastic support by the former
health minister and Leader of the Lords, Lady Jay. Lord Faulkner,
the Labour peer, is acting as an unofficial whip.

Lord Clement-Jones said yesterday: "This bill now has a 75% chance
of going through." The unofficial message was that the government
would pick up the bill in the Commons.

Opposition is being led by a non-smoker, Lord Naseby, and Lord
Liverpool.

If it completed its Commons stages without further amendment, the
bill would not need to return to the Lords, and would instead become
law.

Liberal and Labour peers hold the balance of power in the upper
house, and expect to see off the opposition.

The bill will also control the use on non-tobacco products of names,
emblems and other features which are the same as or similar to those
used on tobacco products.

Government estimates suggest a ban would reduce consumption of
tobacco by 2.5%.